System and method for providing a remote user with a virtual presence to an office

ABSTRACT

A system and method for enabling a remote user to maintain a virtual presence at a corporate office and behave substantially as if the user were physically present at the corporate office. The remote user&#39;s telephone behaves as a PBX extension, and the remote user may send and receive faxes and email, have Internet access and maintain LAN connectivity, substantially as if the user were present at the corporate office. The remote computer system includes an individual remote worker unit or communication device, and the remote computer executes virtual presence software according to the present invention. The corporate office includes a virtual presence server according to the invention which connects to the corporate PBX and also to the corporate LAN. The virtual presence server executes software which enables the remote user to maintain a virtual presence at the corporate office. First the remote user establishes a virtual presence at the corporate office, including providing identification and security information. Once the remote user is connected, the virtual presence server instructs the corporate PBX to automatically forward all calls to the remote user. The virtual presence server also routes email, faxes, and LAN data to the remote user. The virtual presence server also extends the corporate PBX and corporate LAN features to the remote user, just as if the remote user were physically located in the corporate office. According to the invention, the remote user makes outgoing telephone calls, sends faxes, transmits data, sends email and performs Internet access as if the remote user were physically present in the corporate office. Likewise, incoming calls, faxes, data transmissions and email received at the corporate office are routed to the remote user as if the remote user were physically present in the corporate office. Therefore, a co-worker or external party who telephones the user at the corporate office, or sends email or a fax to the user at the corporate office, is unaware that the user is actually not physically located at the corporate office, but rather is at a remote location. The present invention also includes methods for disconnecting and re-establishing virtual presence to reduce message rate charging.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates a system and method which providesconnectivity between one or more remote users and a corporate office,wherein the remote users have a virtual presence at the corporateoffice, including access to the facilities and features provided by thecorporate office telephone system and local area network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Connectivity between remote workers and an office is becomingincreasingly important in today's business climate. Business people whotravel, commonly referred to as "road warriors", desire to "stayconnected" to the corporate office as much as possible. In addition, acurrent trend in business is the "telecommuter", e.g., an employee whoworks primarily at home and is remotely connected to the corporateoffice. Another recent trend in business is referred to as the "remotesmall office" (RSO) or "branch office" (BO), wherein a group of workersor employees are in a location remote from the company's headquarters orcorporate office and are electronically connected to the corporateoffice.

In each of the above situations, the remote individuals require remoteand transparent connectivity to the corporate office, includingconnectivity to the corporate office local area network (LAN) and thecorporate office private branch exchange (PBX) or Centrex Facility. Inthe present disclosure, a PBX and a Centrex Facility, as well as othertypes of telephony server systems, are referred to collectively as a PBXfor convenience. Further, the remote individuals desire a "virtualpresence" at the corporate office, wherein the remote users operateremotely just as if they were physically located in the corporateoffice.

As corporations move away from mainframe based systems to PC basedsystems and local area networks (LANs), the options for remoteconnectivity have improved. In general, personal computers and LANsfacilitate remote access to computing resources. Remote connectivity isalso made possible with the arrival of affordable, reliable, digitaltelecommunications services and inexpensive network hardware. Currently,a variety of digital telecommunications services now support remoteconnections to enterprise networks, among these being Frame Relay, ISDN,Digital Data Service, and T1.

Current remote connectivity software solutions provide remote accessbetween computer systems at different physical locations. For example,one class of remote connectivity software, referred to as "remotecontrol software", allows a user at a local computer system to controland manipulate a remote computer system as if the user were present atthe remote computer system. The user enters commands into the localcomputer, either through a command line or a graphical user interface(GUI), and software executing on the local computer transmits thecommands from the local computer to the remote computer. The remotecomputer executes the commands and provides the output or response backto the local computer.

Applicant is aware of products from various PBX vendors which provide adegree of connectivity to the remote office based upon certain types oftransmission media, such as ISDN. Applicant is specifically aware of aproduct from Siemens Rolm referred to as the Rolm OfficepointCommunications system, which provides an integrated ISDN system forremote and small offices. Applicant is also aware of products offered byvarious remote access vendors which provide data only connectivity tothe remote office. These products generally do not address the voicecommunication requirements of the user. Further, these products do notaddress the particular requirements of the road warrior.

Therefore, a system and method is desired which provides remoteconnectivity between a remote computer or communications device and acorporate office, wherein the system provides remote and transparenttelephony and data access to the corporate office Private BranchExchange (PBX) and local area network (LAN). A system and method is alsodesired which provides a remote user with a virtual presence at thecorporate office, including access to all of the facilities and featuresof the corporate office PBX and LAN.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a system and method for enabling aremote user to maintain a virtual presence at a corporate office. Thepresent invention allows a remote user to connect to a corporate officeand behave just as if the user were physically present at the corporateoffice. Thus the remote user's telephone behaves as a PBX extension. Inaddition, the remote user may send and receive faxes and email, haveInternet access and maintain LAN connectivity, just as if the user werepresent at the corporate office.

The remote computer system includes an individual remote worker unit orcommunication device, and the remote computer executes virtual presencesoftware according to the present invention. The corporate officeincludes a virtual presence server according to the invention whichconnects to the corporate PBX and also to the corporate LAN. The virtualpresence server executes software which enables the remote user tomaintain a virtual presence at the corporate office.

When the remote user desires to establish a virtual presence at thecorporate office, the remote user dials the virtual presence server andestablishes a connection. This includes providing identificationinformation and security information to the virtual presence server.Once the remote user is connected, the virtual presence server instructsthe corporate PBX to automatically forward all calls to the remote user.The virtual presence server also routes email, faxes, and LAN data tothe remote user. The virtual presence server also extends the corporatePBX and corporate LAN features to the remote user, just as if the remoteuser were physically located in the corporate office.

The present invention enables the concept of virtual presence or"telepresence", whereby a user at a remote location has the fullcapabilities and user interfaces of the corporate office just as if theuser were physically located at the corporate office. Thus the telephoneof the remote user mirrors the telephone the user sees at the corporateoffice, including substantially the same button configurations atsubstantially the same locations and performing substantially the samefunctions. According to the present invention, the remote user dials thelocal extension number or DID (direct inward dialing) number ofco-workers in the corporate office, and can be reached with a localextension number, just as if the remote user were physically located inthe corporate office.

According to the invention, the remote user makes outgoing telephonecalls, sends faxes, transmits data, sends email and performs Internetaccess as if the remote user were physically present in the corporateoffice. Likewise, incoming calls, faxes, data transmissions and emailreceived at the corporate office are routed to the remote user as if theremote user were physically present in the corporate office.

Therefore, a co-worker or external party who telephones the user at thecorporate office, or sends email or a fax to the user at the corporateoffice, is unaware that the user is actually not physically located atthe corporate office, but rather is at a remote location. In general, asecretary or receptionist located just outside the user's physicalcorporate office location is unable to discern, without opening thedoor, whether the user is located in his office at the corporate officeor at a remote location.

The present invention includes methods for disconnecting andre-establishing virtual presence to reduce message rate charging. When aconnection first occurs, the system determines if message rate chargingis in effect. If so, and if the user desires temporary disconnects, theremote computer system monitors activity and disconnects after certainelapsed periods of inactivity. When the remote user desires to contactthe corporate office, or the virtual presence server desires to routedata to the remote user, then the respective system automatically andtransparently reconnects to reestablish virtual presence and perform thecommunication. These reconnects preferably occur transparently to theuser, and thus a virtual presence is maintained from the user'sperspective, even during temporary disconnects.

For the telecommuter, the present invention optionally instructs thetelephone company Central Office to automatically route calls made tothe telecommuter's home number, i.e., personal calls, to the corporateoffice. These calls are then routed to the telecommuter's home by thevirtual presence server. Thus when a telecommuter is connected to thecorporate office according to the virtual presence system of theinvention, an external party who attempts to call the telecommuter athome is not blocked out, but rather is routed through the corporateoffice virtual presence server to the telecommuter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment is consideredin conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a system wherein a remote user maintains avirtual presence to a corporate office according to the presentinvention;

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate various embodiments of the virtual presence systemof the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the individual remote worker logic configured as a PCCard adapted for connecting to the remote computer system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are block diagrams illustrating embodiments of theindividual remote worker unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 illustrates a conceptual block diagram of the operation of themodem of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 illustrates a standard DSVD hardware model according to theprior art;

FIG. 11 illustrates a modem architecture according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart diagram illustrating operation of the individualremote worker unit of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart diagram illustrating operation of the virtualpresence server of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart diagram illustrating operation of the virtualpresence server of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart diagram illustrating operation of the remote useraccessing the corporate office; and

FIG. 16 is a flowchart diagram illustrating operation of the virtualpresence server accessing the remote user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1--VirtualPresence System

Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a Remote Connectivity andVirtual Presence System according to the present invention is shown. Asshown, a user who is remote from his/her "corporate office" utilizes acomputer system or other communications device, referred to generally ascomputer system 102, to communicate and/or connect with the corporateoffice, also referred to as the home office. In the present disclosure,the term "corporate office" is intended to generally mean an officelocation where a remote user is desired to be connected. In general, thecorporate office will be a headquarters office or corporate office, agovernment agency office, or another type of office, to which the userdesires a "virtual presence."

The remote user preferably uses a computer system, such as laptop 102,to connect to the corporate office. The remote user may also use othertypes of communication devices, such as a personal digital assistant(PDA) or a cellular phone, as desired. The computer system 102 includesan individual remote worker (IRW) unit 104 (FIG. 2) according to thepresent invention which provides transparent telephone and dataconnectivity and virtual presence to the corporate office. The IRW unit104 preferably comprises a hardware card and/or software comprised inthe computer system 102 which facilitate the remote connectivity andvirtual presence.

The individual remote worker (IRW) unit 104 couples through acommunication mechanism or channel to a virtual presence server 106 atthe corporate office, i.e., the office where the user desires to have a"virtual presence" or have "telepresence". In the preferred embodiment,as shown, the communication mechanism is the public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN), using either conventional analog transmission or ISDN(Integrated Services Digital Network) transmission. In the presentdisclosure, the term "public switched telephone network" (PSTN) includesany of various types of communications mechanisms, including analog ordigital telephony transmission as mentioned above, ATM (AsynchronousTransfer Mode) networks, FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Networks), and T1lines, among others.

The virtual presence server 106 preferably supports one or more IRWunits 104 via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The virtualpresence server 106 at the corporate office preferably supports amixture of simultaneous analog and ISDN connections for connecting tovarious IRW units 104. The virtual presence server 106 is preferably ahigh performance computer system executing virtual presence softwareaccording to the invention.

The virtual presence server 106 interfaces to a telephony server 112,such as a private branch exchange (PBX) or Centrex unit in the corporateoffice. In embodiments where the corporate office includes a call serverinstead of a conventional PBX, the virtual presence server 106 connectsto the call server. In the present disclosure, the term "telephonyserver" is intended to include a PBX, Centrex system, and other devicesor systems which perform telephony switching services or functions.Also, the term "PBX" is used herein to be equivalent to "telephonyserver" for convenience.

In one embodiment, the virtual presence server 106 performs thefunctions of a call server as well as a virtual presence server. Forexample, the virtual presence server 106 in one embodiment comprises aSCSA (Signal Computing System Architecture) or MVIP server forperforming call management functions as well as virtual presencefunctions.

The virtual presence server 106 also interfaces to a local area network(LAN) 114 at the corporate office. The LAN 114 may use Ethernet, TokenRing, or other types of protocols. The LAN may also use the IsochronousEthernet (IsoEthernet) protocol, which is IEEE specification 802.9a.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the virtual presence server 106 preferablyincludes one or more analog modems 184 for communicating analog signalsover telephone lines, and one or more ISDN terminal adapters 182 forISDN communications. It is noted that the virtual presence server 106may include only analog modems 184 or only ISDN terminal adapters 182,or may include a combination. The virtual presence server 106 mayinclude other types of communications devices and/or use other types ofcommunications media, as desired.

As shown in FIG. 2, the corporate office may also include a remoteaccess server 108 and/or a bridge router for performing moreconventional remote access functions. Alternatively, the virtualpresence server 106 includes remote access software for performingremote accessing functions in addition to the virtual presence functionsof the present invention.

As shown, the remote user may either be a telecommuter or a roadwarrior, or may be a resident in a branch office, also referred to as aremote small office. The remote computer system 102 used by the remoteuser may comprise either an analog modem 184 or an ISDN terminal adapter182, or another type of communications device.

The virtual presence server 106 located at the corporate office connectsto the corporate PBX 112 as one or more extensions and connects to thecorporate LAN 114 as one or more remote terminals, LAN nodes, or aseparate LAN segment. The virtual presence server 106 then providesthese features over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to aremote site, i.e., to the remote user. Thus, the virtual presence server106 of the present invention operates to extend PBX features, as well asLAN features, to the remote users. It is noted that the system shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 does not include a key system or PBX intervening betweenthe virtual presence server 106 and the remote users.

The IRW unit 104 in the computer system 102, as well as the virtualpresence server 106 at the corporate office, allow a remote user toseamlessly access and use resources at the corporate office, such as thecorporate office private branch exchange (PBX) 112 and local areanetwork (LAN) 114. Thus, a remote user with a virtual presenceconnection according to the present invention has all of the facilitiesand features provided by the PBX 112 and LAN 114 at the corporate officewhile working from a remote location.

Further, the present invention enables the concept of virtual presenceor "telepresence", whereby a user at a remote location has the fullcapabilities and user interfaces of the corporate office just as if theuser were physically located at the corporate office. In other words,the system of the present invention allows the remote user to have avirtual presence at the corporate office as if the user were actuallypresent at the corporate office.

Thus the telecommuter or road warrior using a virtual telephone onhis/her computer "sees" a virtual telephone that optionallysubstantially mirrors the telephone the user sees at the corporateoffice, including substantially the same button configurations atsubstantially the same locations and performing substantially the samefunctions. In one embodiment, the user configures the virtual telephoneto provide different and/or more advanced features than the telephone atthe corporate office.

Typically, a person physically located in a corporate office dials alocal extension number or DID (direct inward dialing) number, such as anN digit extension number, to call a co-worker in the corporate office.According to the present invention, the remote user dials the same localextension number of a co-worker in the corporate office, just as if theremote user were physically located in the corporate office. Similarly,a co-worker in the corporate office dials the local extension of theremote user and accesses the remote user, just as if the remote userwere physically located in the corporate office.

According to the invention, the remote user makes outgoing telephonecalls, sends faxes, transmits data, sends email and performs Internetaccess as if the remote user were physically present in the corporateoffice. Likewise, incoming calls, faxes, data transmissions and emailreceived at the corporate office are routed to the remote user as if theremote user were physically present in the corporate office.

Incoming calls are preferably automatically routed to the remote user.Faxes may also be automatically routed to the remote user if the remoteuser has a personal fax machine and/or personal fax number at thecorporate office. It is noted that, for faxes to be automatically routedfrom the corporate office to the remote user, the corporate office isnot required to have a physical fax machine, but is only required tohave a direct number to receive faxes.

Therefore, a co-worker or other party who telephones the remote user atthe corporate office, or sends email, data or a fax to the remote userat the corporate office, is unaware that the user is actually notphysically located at the corporate office, but rather is at a remotelocation. In general, a secretary or receptionist located just outsidethe user's physical corporate office location is unable to discernwhether the user is located in his office at the corporate office or ata remote location. Thus the remote user maintains a virtual presencewhich is "just like being there".

FIGS. 3-5: Embodiments of the Invention

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, various embodiments of the present inventionare shown. As shown, the system of the present invention may be used forvarious types of remote users.

1. FIG. 3: Telecommuters and Road Warriors

Referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment used for telecommuters and roadwarriors is shown. For a user who is a "telecommuter", i.e., a user whois working at home and remotely connects to the corporate office, thetelecommuter may operate with either a desktop or portable computersystem, or optionally with another type of communications device. FIG. 3illustrates a telecommuter operating with a desktop computer system,designated as 102A. If the telecommuter operates with a desktop computersystem 102A, the IRW unit 104 is preferably an add-in card to anexpansion bus of the computer system 102A, such as a PCI (PeripheralComponent Interconnect) card or AT bus card.

As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment a telephone instrument 124 isconnected to the computer system 102A. Alternatively, or additionally,the computer system 102A executes software which presents a "virtualtelephone" on the video screen of the computer system 102A. The virtualtelephone executing on the computer system preferably uses thecomputer's speakerphone, or the computer's built-in microphone andspeakers, as the voice transmitter and receiver for the virtualtelephone.

For a "road warrior", i.e., a business traveler operating with aportable or notebook computer 102B, the IRW unit 104 preferablycomprises a PC Card, or the IRW logic is hardwired to the computermotherboard. Users who are "road warriors", i.e., business users whotravel and desire to "stay connected" to the corporate office, generallyuse a portable computer system 102B or a portable communications device(not shown). Thus, for road warriors, the IRW unit 104 preferablycomprises a PCMCIA card, also referred to as a PC Card, adapted forinsertion into a PCMCIA slot of the portable computer system 102B. Also,if the telecommuter uses a portable computer or notebook computer, theIRW unit 104 also preferably comprises a PC Card.

The portable computer system 102B may include an external telephoneinstrument which connects to the computer system 102B. Alternatively, oradditionally, as shown, the portable computer system 102B preferablyexecutes software which presents a "virtual telephone" on the videoscreen of the computer system 102B, as described above. In thisembodiment, the portable computer 102B preferably includes an integratedspeakerphone which provides transmitter/receiver capabilities.

As shown, each of the computers 102A and 102B are connected to thecorporate office virtual presence server 106, also referred to as theIRW server, via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Each ofthe computers 102A and 102B are also connected to the corporate officePBX 112 via the PSTN.

The computers 102A and 102B connect to the PSTN preferably using eitheranalog modems 184 or ISDN terminal adapters 182. It is noted that thecomputers 102A and 102B may connect to the PSTN using any of variouscommunications devices and any of various communications media, asdesired. In the present disclosure, the term "communications device" isintended to include analog modems, ISDN terminal adapters, and any ofvarious other types of communications devices which use any of varioustypes of communications media.

In one embodiment, the IRW unit 104 includes an analog modem 184,preferably a V.34 modem, which is used where an ordinary analogtelephone line is available to connect to the corporate office. In asecond embodiment, the IRW unit 104 utilizes an integrated servicesdigital network (ISDN) terminal adapter 182. The ISDN embodimentprovides higher speed data transmissions and improved voice quality. Anyof the various embodiments preferably also supports a local group threefacsimile (fax) machine.

In an embodiment where the IRW unit 104 uses an analog modem, the IRWunit 104 preferably includes an analog V.34 modem. Voice data ispreferably transmitted at approximately 9 Kbps, and the vocoderpreferably uses linear predictive coding (lpc) or multiband excitationtechniques in encoding the voice data. In an embodiment using ISDNconnectivity, the ISDN terminal adapter preferably uses ADPCM codingtechniques to code the voice data.

The PSTN connects to the corporate office virtual presence server 106preferably via either ISDN terminal adapters 182 or analog V.34 modems184, and the PSTN connects to the corporate PBX via PBX--Central Officephone lines, as is well known. As shown in FIG. 3, the virtual presenceserver 106 connects to the corporate PBX 112 via PBX lines. Thecorporate PBX 112 connects to various telephone instruments 122 in thecorporate office, as is well known. The virtual presence server 106connects to the corporate PBX 112 to extend PBX features to the remoteuser and also to support voice communication between the corporateoffice and the remote user.

The virtual presence server 106 also connects to the corporate localarea network (LAN) 114. As shown, the corporate LAN 114 may comprise anEthernet network 132, a Token Ring network, or other type of local areanetwork, as desired. Various computer systems are connected to the LAN114, as is well known.

In one embodiment, the computer systems 102A and 102B comprise DSVD(digital simultaneous voice and data) modems as well as the appropriatesoftware for enabling simultaneous voice and data transmissions. Inanother embodiment, the computer systems 102A and 102B include acommunications device, such as a modem, which utilizes a specialprotocol for multiplexing multiple data types on a single communicationsline, such as a telephone line, including voice, LAN data, fax data, andtelephony control data. In the present disclosure, the term "telephonycontrol data" includes PBX extension data as well as other telephonycontrol information.

It is noted that a road warrior preferably has virtual phone and virtualfax software applications executing on his computer system. Thetelecommuter operating from his home may include a "real" fax machine aswell as a "real" phone. Where a telecommuter's system includes aphysical fax machine, and an ISDN connection is used, the analogfacsimile data generated by the fax machine is preferably re-digitizedin the remote computer system 102 and communicated over the PSTN to thevirtual presence server 106. In this embodiment, each of the remotecomputer system 102 and the virtual presence server 106 include afax/modem chip. When the remote user sends a fax using the "real" faxmachine, the remote computer 102 receives the fax, converts the analogdata to digital data, and transmits the digital data to the virtualpresence server 106. The virtual presence server 106 uses its fax modemto perform digital to analog conversion and provides the analog fax datato a "real" or virtual fax machine at any location, such as thecorporate office. Alternatively, the virtual presence server may forwardthe fax data to a fax xerver for transmission.

2. FIG. 4: Branch Office with Key System or PBX

Referring now to FIG. 4, a system according to the present invention isshown which enables users in a branch office to connect to a corporateoffice. In a branch office, the IRW unit 104 is preferably a rackmounted device, referred to as an BO Server 160, which includes multipleinputs and which handles multiple phone lines. As shown, the branchoffice preferably includes its own local area network (LAN) 154 forconnecting multiple computer systems. The branch office also preferablyincludes a key system unit (KSU) 152 or small PBX which providestelephone connectivity for telephones in the branch office.

As shown, each of the computers 102 in the branch office are connectedto the remote office LAN 154, and the LAN 154 in turn connects to the BOServer 160. The BO Server 160 connects to a corporate office BO virtualpresence server 107 via the PSTN. The BO virtual presence server. 107 issimilar to the virtual presence server 106 described above. The BOServer 160 also connects to the corporate office PBX 112 via the publicswitched telephone network (PSTN).

The BO virtual presence server 107 in the corporate office whichinterfaces to the BO server 160 in a branch office is preferablydifferent than the virtual presence server 106 which interfaces totelecommuters and road warriors. The BO virtual presence server 107 ispreferably different due to the need of the BO virtual presence server107 to interface to a small key system or small PBX in the remoteoffice. In the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6, if telecommuters and roadwarriors desire to remotely connect to the corporate office, then thecorporate office preferably includes a separate virtual presence server106 dedicated to the telecommuters and road warriors. Thus in thepreferred embodiment the functionality between the two different typesof virtual presence servers 106 and 107 is not mixed. In an alternateembodiment, the corporate office includes a single virtual presenceserver 106 which serves both a branch office as well as telecommutersand road warriors.

The computers 102 and telephones 124 in the remote office are connectedto the corporate office through the BO Server 160 and the PSTN. The BOServer 160 connects to the PSTN using either ISDN service, DDS (digitaldata service), leased lines, such as T1 lines, or other communicationsdevices or media The BO Server 160 may also connect to the corporateoffice virtual presence server 107 using a plurality of analog modems,as desired. The PSTN connects to the corporate office virtual presenceserver 107 via communications media such as ISDN, DDS, T1 lines, oranalog V.34 modems, and the PSTN connects to the corporate PBX viaPBX--Central Office phone lines, as is well known.

As discussed above with reference to FIG. 3, in FIG. 4 the BO virtualpresence server 107 in the corporate office connects to the corporatePBX 112 via PBX lines. The corporate PBX 112 connects to varioustelephone instruments 122 in the corporate office, as is well known. TheBO virtual presence server 107 also connects to the corporate local areanetwork (LAN) 114. As shown, the corporate LAN 114 may comprise anEthernet network 132, a Token Ring network, or other local area network,as desired. Various computer systems 134 are connected to the LAN 114,as is well known.

In a branch office application, the BO server 160 supports telephoneconnectivity, also referred to as Central Office (C.O.) appearances,wherein a user in the remote office is not required to "back-call"telephone calls to other users in the remote office. In other words, fora user in the remote office to call a user next door in the remoteoffice, the user is not required to call the corporate office and thenhave the virtual presence server 107 in the corporate office call backto the next door user in the remote office.

In one embodiment of FIG. 4, the computer systems 102 and/or the BOserver 160 further comprise DSVD (digital simultaneous voice and data)modems as well as the appropriate software for enabling simultaneousvoice and data transmissions. As discussed further below, one embodimentincludes communications devices such as modems which utilize a specialprotocol for multiplexing multiple data types on a single communicationsline, including two or more of voice, LAN data, fax data, and telephonycontrol data.

It is noted that the key system unit 152 does not provide the user withcomplete virtual presence because the user is noticeably in a remoteoffice where he is required to select an outside line. Thus the userdoes not enter the same sequence of button entries that the user wouldenter if the user were physically in the corporate office. A key systemunit also places a different protocol between the user and thetelephone, depending on whether the user is calling someone in theremote office or in the corporate office. Thus a branch office whichuses KSU 152 does not have the same level of telepresence as a branchoffice including a BO Server 160 embodying an internal PBX function.This is because the KSU 152 is located between the remote users and theBO server 160.

In one embodiment, the BO server 160 displaces a key system unit at thebranch office. In other words, the BO server 106 executes software whichprovides at least a subset of the functionality of a key system or PBX,and this "soft" key system or PBX is operated over the remote office LAN154. The BO Server 160 is thus programmed to behave as a PBX, whereinthe BO Server 160 offers a local intercom between the stations.

Thus, in a remote office with 10 people and having an BO server 160, oneremote office worker can talk to someone in the next office using alocal extension in the remote office or place a local call in the BOarea code. The BO server 160 also provides the same user interface toeach remote worker as if the respective remote worker were physicallylocated in the corporate office.

The BO Server 160 also may act as a file server or application server inthe remote office LAN 154, as desired. Alternatively, the BO Server 160acts as an additional server on the remote office LAN 154 if a serveralready exists.

3. FIG. 5: Branch Office

Referring now to FIG. 5, a system according to another embodiment of thepresent invention is shown which enables users in a branch office toconnect to a corporate office. FIG. 5 illustrates a corporate officevirtual presence server 107A interfacing to two branch offices. Thesystem shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the system shown in FIG. 4, exceptthat the branch offices in FIG. 5 does not include a key system or PBX,but rather includes standard telephone instruments (POTS) or a Centrextelephone system. This configuration in the remote office implies thatvoice data is transferred over the BO LAN 154. Thus a local extensioncall is multiplexed on the LAN 154, and the BO server 160 provides localswitching.

As discussed above, in a branch office the IRW unit 104 is preferably arack mounted device referred to as the BO Server 160A, which includesmultiple inputs and which handles multiple phone lines. Each of thebranch offices shown in FIG. 5 includes a LAN 154 for connectingmultiple computer systems. Each branch office also preferably includes aBO server 160A corresponding to the LAN 154. The BO server 160A providestelephone connectivity for telephones 124 in the branch office.

As shown, each of the computers 102 in the branch office are connectedto the respective remote office LAN 154, and each LAN 154 in turnconnects to a respective BO Server 160A. Each BO Server 160A connects tothe corporate office virtual presence server (virtual presence server)107A, and to the corporate office PBX 112, via the public switchedtelephone network (PSTN). The computers 102 in the remote office connectthrough a respective BO Server 160A, and the BO Server 160A connects tothe PSTN using a communications device and/or media such as analogmodems/phone lines, ISDN service, DDS (digital data service) or leasedlines, such as T1 lines, among others. The PSTN connects to thecorporate office virtual presence server 107A via one or morecommunications devices and/or media such as ISDN, DDS, T1 lines, oranalog V.34 modems, and the PSTN connects to the corporate PBX viaPBX--Central Office phone lines, as is well known.

As discussed above with reference to FIG. 3, in FIG. 5 the virtualpresence server 107A at the corporate office connects to the corporatePBX 112 via PBX lines. The corporate PBX 112 connects to varioustelephone instruments 122 in the corporate office, as is well known. Thevirtual presence server 107A also connects to the corporate local areanetwork (LAN) 114. As shown, the corporate LAN 114 may comprise anEthernet network 132, a Token Ring network, or other local area network,as desired. Various computer systems 134 are connected to the LAN 114,as is well known.

As discussed above, the virtual presence server 107A which interfaces tousers in a branch office is preferably different than the virtualpresence server (FIG. 3) 106 which interfaces to telecommuters and roadwarriors due to the need of the virtual presence server 107A tointerface to the BO Server in the remote office via multiplecommunication paths. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, if telecommuters androad warriors desire to remotely connect to the corporate office, thenthe corporate office preferably includes a separate virtual presenceserver 106A dedicated to the telecommuters and road warriors, asdiscussed above. Alternatively, the virtual presence server 106Aincludes functionality for one or more branch offices, telecommuters,and road warriors.

In a branch office application, the BO server 160A supports telephoneconnectivity, wherein a user in the remote office is not required to"back-call" telephone calls to other users in the remote office. Inother words, for a user in the remote office to call a user next door inthe remote office, the user is not required to call the corporate officeand then have the virtual presence server in the corporate office callback to the next door user in the remote office.

In one embodiment of FIG. 5, the computer systems 102 further compriseDSVD (digital simultaneous voice and data) modems as well as theappropriate software for enabling simultaneous voice and datatransmissions. As discussed further below, one embodiment preferablyutilizes a novel protocol for multiplexing multiple data types on asingle communications line, including two or more of voice, LAN data,fax data, and telephony control data.

FIG. 6--IRW Unit

Referring now to FIG. 6, a diagram illustrating the individual remoteworker unit 104 (FIG. 2), shown here implemented as PC Card 40,according to the one embodiment of the present invention used withportable computer system 102 is shown. As shown, the portable computersystem 102 includes a video screen 22, a keyboard 24, mouse 26, and afloppy drive 28. The computer system 102 also preferably includes amicrophone 34 and speaker 32. The computer system 102 further includesat least one PCMCIA slot 30 for receiving a PC Card.

In this embodiment the IRW unit 104 is preferably configured as a PCMCIA(Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) PC Card 40adapted for insertion into the PCMCIA slot 30 of the computer system102. This allows the IRW unit 104 to be easily used with portable andlaptop computer systems. However, it is noted that, for desktop or towersystems, i.e., non-portables, the IRW unit 104 may also be configured asan expansion card for insertion into an expansion bus of the computersystem. The IRW unit 104 may also be configured directly on themotherboard of the computer system 102. The IRW unit 104 may have otherphysical configurations, as desired.

As mentioned above, the IRW unit 104 may be adapted for communicatingthrough various communication mechanisms. For example, in oneembodiment, the IRW unit 104 is an analog unit including a modem forinterfacing to an analog phone line. In another embodiment, the IRW unit104 includes an ISDN terminal adapter unit for interfacing to an ISDNline. The IRW unit 104 may also be configured for other types ofcommunication mechanisms, such as ATM, and T1 lines, among others.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the IRW unit 104including an analog modem 184. As shown, the IRW unit 104 preferablycomprises a V.34 modem 184 and also includes a full-duplex speakerphone204. The analog IRW unit 104 also preferably includes simultaneous voiceand data (SVD) logic 208 for performing SVD capabilities. The SVD logic208 operates with the modem 184 and with the full-duplex speakerphone204. The SVD logic preferably multiplexes a plurality of data types in asingle communication channel, such as voice, LAN data, fax data, andtelephony control data.

The analog IRW unit 104 also preferably includes digital simultaneousfacsimile (DSF) logic for performing DSF capabilities. The IRW unit 104preferably includes a phone jack 212 for connecting to an analog phoneline, or telco line. The IRW unit 104 also preferably includes externaljacks 214 and 216 for an external microphone and speaker, respectively,one or more jacks for pass through of microphone and speaker to acomputer sound system (not shown), and a jack for an external phone (notshown).

FIG. 8 illustrates an ISDN embodiment of the IRW unit 104, wherein theIRW unit 104 is adapted for ISDN capability. In this embodiment, the IRWunit 104 comprises an card ISDN terminal adapter (TA) 182 adapted forcoupling to an ISDN line, i.e., which generates one or more 64 Kbps ISDNB channels. The ISDN terminal adapter 182 preferably includes logic fordigitally encoding the voice signal, for example, performing 32 kilobyteanalog to digital pulse code modulation (ADPCM). The ISDN IRW unit 104preferably includes a full-duplex speakerphone 204, as well as digitalsimultaneous voice and data (DSVD) logic 209 for performing DSVDcapabilities. The DSVD logic 209 preferably provides or multiplexes aplurality of data types on one or more ISDN B channels, including voicedata, LAN data, fax data and telephony control data.

The ISDN IRW unit 104 also preferably includes digital simultaneousfacsimile (DSF) logic 206 for performing DSF capabilities. The ISDN IRWunit 104 also preferably includes an external jack 218 for connecting toan ISDN line, one or more jacks 214 and 216 for an external microphoneand speaker, respectively, one or more jacks for pass through of amicrophone and speakers, such as to the computer sound system (notshown), and ajack 212 for connecting to an analog phone line.

It is noted that the IRW units 104 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are designedfor telecommuters and road warriors. A BO server 160 used for a branchoffice is preferably similar to either the embodiments of FIGS. 10 and11, but includes additional functionality for providing LAN access atthe branch office and also providing local PBX extensions between theplurality of workers at the branch office, as discussed above, as wellas additional inputs and outputs and communication devices.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the modem184 of FIG. 7. As shown, the modem 184 is adapted for transmittingand/or receiving data having various different data types. For example,one or more of analog phone signals (voice), LAN data, fax data,telephony control data, and other data is provided through a multiplexerto the modem 184. The modem preferably transmits the multiple data typesover a single communication media, such as a telephone line. The modem184 preferably statistically time division multiplexes the data on thephone line in individual packets for each data type. Thus the modem 184creates a plurality of virtual channels on the single physical channel.The modem 184 also receives data of different data types from a phoneline and intelligently distributes the data within the computer system.

Virtual presence server

The virtual presence server 106 preferably comprises a computer systemwhich connects to the LAN 114 and which also connects to the corporateoffice PBX 112. The virtual presence server 106 preferably comprises ahigh performance computer system executing the Windows NT operatingsystem. In other words, the virtual presence server 106 is preferably aWindows NT server. The virtual presence server 106 may also comprise aUNIX server or may execute other operating systems, as desired. Thevirtual presence server 106 preferably includes a plurality ofcommunications interfaces, as shown in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, thevirtual presence server 106 includes a plurality of modems 184 whichcorrespond to a plurality of phone lines. The virtual presence server106 also preferably includes one or more ISDN terminal adapters 182which connect to a corresponding one or more phone lines.

As shown in FIG. 2, and as discussed above, the system of the presentinvention in one embodiment includes a remote access server in additionto the virtual presence server 106. Alternatively, the system includes abridge router in addition to the virtual presence server 106. In anotherembodiment, the system includes the remote access server and a bridgerouter in addition to the virtual presence server 106, depending on thecapabilities of the IRW units 104 which contact the virtual presenceserver 106. In yet another embodiment, the virtual presence server 106implements the remote access functionality. In one embodiment, thevirtual presence server 106 is a SCSA (Signal Computing SystemArchitecture) or MVIP call server in addition to acting as a virtualpresence server.

Data Transfer Protocol

FIG. 10 illustrates a standard DSVD hardware model according to theprior art. As shown, the standard DSVD hardware model comprises a CPUexecuting software which performs a modem protocol, such as the V.42protocol or the V.60 protocol. The CPU executing software is representedas a box which includes a V.60 block 246. The computer system includes aCOM port 242 which provides data through a serializer 244 to the V.60block 246. The CPU executing the V.60 protocol, i.e., the V.60 block246, receives data from and provides data to the serial COM port 242.The computer system includes a microphone 264 and speakers 266 whichprovide analog audio data through a codec 262 to voice compression logic260. The voice compression logic 260 provides compressed audio output tothe V.60 block 246.

The DSVD modem includes a first phone jack 254 for connecting to anexternal communication mechanism, i.e., a phone line, and a second phonejack 258 for connecting to a telephone instrument. The second phone jack258 connects to a phone interface controller (PIC) 256 which providescontrol data to the V.60 block 246. The V.60 block couples to a DSP 248and then to a codec 250. The codec 250 and the PIC 256 connect to block252 which then connects to phone jack 254. The phone jack 254 providesanalog data output to an analog phone line and receives analog data fromthe phone line.

When the DSVD modem receives data from the phone line, the data isreceived by the phone jack 254 and is provided through the codec 250,the DSP 248, the V.60 block 246 and the serializer 244 to the COM port242. The data received by the phone jack 254 is also provided throughthe PIC 256 to the telephone instrument 258. Data is also provided fromeither the COM port 242 or the telephone instrument jack 258 to theexternal phone jack 254 in an opposite manner.

Simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modems differ from standard modems inthat they require multiple channels created between the two connectedmodems. SVD modems require a first channel to carry data and a secondchannel to carry voice. In one embodiment of the present invention, asdiscussed below, the modems comprised in the IRW unit 104 and in thevirtual presence server 106 include first and second channels for dataand voice, and a third channel between the modems for extending PBXinterfaces.

Modem Architecture--Present Invention

FIG. 11 illustrates an architecture for the modem comprised in the IRWunit 104 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Elementswhich are preferably identical to elements discussed above withreference to FIG. 10 have the same reference numerals for convenience.It is noted that the IRW unit 104 in the remote computer system 102 maycomprise various types of communication devices, including modems andISDN terminal adapters. The description below presumes that an analogmodem is comprised in the IRW unit 104.

The present invention preferably maintains multiple virtual COM portswhich interface to one or more real or physical COM ports. As shown, thepresent invention includes a CPU executing software which performs theV.60 protocol. The CPU also executes software which performs a virtualCOM port multiplexing (V.MUX) function. The CPU executing software isrepresented as a box which includes a V.60 block 246 and a V.MUX block274.

As shown the computer system implements multiple virtual COM ports whichare provided to a single physical COM port 242. The COM port 242connects to a serializer 244 which connects to a virtual COM portmultiplexer 274 referred to as V.MUX. The V.MUX block 274 connectsthrough a data path to the V.60 logic. The V.MUX block 274 also connectsthrough a control path to the V.60 block and a phone interfacecontroller 256. The CPU executing the V.60 protocol, i.e., the V.60block 246, receives data from and provides data to the serial COM port242.

The computer system includes a microphone 264 and speakers 266 whichprovide analog audio data through a codec 262 to voice compression logic260. The voice compression logic 260 provides compressed audio output tothe V.60 block 246. The codec 262 also connects to the PIC 256, whichconnects to a telephone instrument phone jack 258.

The modem includes a first phone jack 254 for connecting to an externalcommunication mechanism, i.e., a phone line, and a second phone jack 258for connecting to a telephone instrument. The second phone jack 258connects to the phone interface controller (PIC) 256 which providescontrol data to the V.60 block 246. The V.60 block 246 couples to a DSP248 and then to a codec 250. The codec 250 connects to block 252 whichthen connects to phone jack 254. The phone jack 254 receives andprovides analog data output to an analog phone line. Thus, the V.60block 246 receives data from a serial COM port 242 as well as controldata from the PIC 256 and audio data from the voice compression logic.

When the modem receives data from the phone line, the data is receivedby the phone jack 254 and is provided through the codec 250, the DSP248, the V.60 block 246 and the serializer 244 to the COM port 242. Thedata received by the phone jack 254 is also provided through the PIC 256to the telephone instrument through the jack 258. Data is also providedfrom either the COM port 242 or the telephone instrument jack 258 to theexternal phone jack 254. When data is provided from the phone jack 254to the COM port 242, the CPU multiplexes this data with other datastreams which may be provided to the COM port 242, as represented by theV.MUX block 274. Thus the computer system creates multiple virtual COMports or channels in software which share the single physical COM port.Likewise, when data is provided from the COM port 242 to the phone jack254, the V.MUX block 272 multiplexes this data with other data streamsfrom multiple virtual corn ports.

The present invention preferably includes a plurality of protocols,i.e., two or more protocols, which connect the virtual presence server106 and the remote computer system 102. The preferred embodimentpreferably creates three channels between the virtual presence server106 and the remote computer system 102 to allow data and voicetransmissions, as well as the transfer of telephony control data, i.e.,PBX extension data. Thus the third channel is reserved for telephonycontrol data between the virtual presence server 106 and the remotecomputer system 102.

DSVD is currently defined to support a protocol that simultaneouslycarries voice and carries data at the same time. G.dsvd defines twochannels of voice and data. A standard referred to as T-120 includes avirtually unlimited number of self creating logical channels and astandard referred to as H-124 includes 20 or more channels. Thus thepreferred embodiment uses the T-120 standard to allow three or morechannels between the virtual presence server and the remote computersystem. In an alternate embodiment, the data channel runs a networkprotocol such as NETBEUI, IPX, or TCP/IP, which provides a plurality oflogical channels, one of which serves as the telephony control channel

Therefore, the present invention creates multiple logical channelsbetween two modems over a single analog line, preferably using timemultiplexing techniques. The present invention also creates multiplechannels between the modem and the PC itself using multiple virtual COMports which interface to a single physical COM port.

Thus, multiple channels are created between the remote computer systemand the virtual presence server. In one embodiment, the method createsmultiple COM port addresses and COM drivers. Currently, when a softwareapplication uses or takes control of a modem, the modem is not availablefor other software applications. Thus the present invention creates aplurality of virtual COM ports. This allows software applications to usevirtual COM ports and thus effectively share a single physical COM port.

When a software application makes a call which requests a modem, virtualcorn port software executing on the remote computer system 102determines if the software application should be granted access to avirtual COM port of the modem. It is noted that the COM port is notrequired to be a real COM port. These plurality of virtual COM portspreferably each reference a channel in the communication line. If accessis allowed, then the application is allowed a channel on thecommunication mechanism. The V.MUX block 272 multiplexes these dataaccesses to the physical COM port 272.

Under Windows, Windows NT, UNIX, and other modern operating systems, thepresent invention creates multiple virtual software COM ports with nohardware implications. In an alternate embodiment, the computer systemincludes multiple physical hardware COM ports.

The protocol of the present invention operates to extend the PBXfeatures to the remote users, as well as manage the PBX features used bythe remote users. The present invention also combines voice and datatransmissions. The combined voice and data transmissions are preferablyvery compressed. Alternatively, the combined voice and datatransmissions are "spoofed" to remove extraneous or unneeded datatraffic, i.e., maintenance and handshaking traffic.

Modem Architecture--Virtual Presence Server

The modem architecture of a modem in the virtual presence server 106according to the present invention is preferably similar to conventionalmodems and may include dig ital simultaneous voice and data (DSVD) ordigital simultaneous voice, data and fax capabilities, as desired.

IRW Unit--Software

The remote computer system or communication device 102 includes softwarewhich interfaces to the IRW unit 104 in the remote computer system 102which allows remote access and virtual presence to the corporate officeaccording to the present invention. The virtual presence software of thepresent invention preferably resides on the hard disk drive of thecomputer system 102 and is loaded into system memory during use. Thevirtual presence software preferably executes in the background of otherapplications as one or more device drivers, i.e. one or more networkdrivers. For example, the virtual presence software may comprise a suiteof drivers, including a virtual presence protocol driver and a virtualphone application.

The remote computer system 102 preferably uses a virtual networkprotocol (VNP) to perform a plurality of activities simultaneously.Thus, the remote computer syste m 102 can automatically connect to thecorporate office on an as needed basis.

The IRW unit 104 in the remote computer system includes transparentaccess capabilities to the corporate office LAN 114 as a remote LAN node(RLN). The remote computer system 102 preferably includes NDIS and/orODI drivers for Microsoft and Novel local area networks.

The remote computer system 102 also preferably includes transparentaccess capability to the corporate office telephone system or PBX 112 asan extension telephone set. As mentioned above, the computer system 102preferably includes an external telephone instrument which connectsthrough the computer system to the IRW unit 104. Alternatively, oradditionally, software executing on the remote computer systemimplements a virtual phone on the computer screen, as desired. Theexternal telephone set is preferably used in situations where privacy isdesired.

The IRW unit 104 according to the present invention also provides theremote user with transparent access capability to the corporate officetelephone system for faxing capabilities. Thus, data is transferred fromthe remote computer system to the corporate office telephone system anda fax protocol is applied to the data when the data is received at thecorporate office, i.e. the data is locally modulated and demodulateddepending upon the direction of the facsimile transmission.

FIG. 12--IRW Unit Operation

Referring now to FIG. 12, a flowchart diagram illustrating operation ofthe virtual presence software executing on the remote computer systemaccording to the present invention is shown. In step 502, in response touser input, the remote computer system establishes a connection to thehost system, i.e., to the virtual presence server at the corporateoffice. In the preferred embodiment, the virtual presence softwarepresents a graphical user interface (GUI) on the screen, including anicon titled "Be There."

The user preferably clicks the mouse on the "Be There" icon to establisha connection between the remote computer system and the corporateoffice. Clicking the mouse button on the "Be There" icon invokes anautodial routine, and the autodial routine operates to provide aconnection between the remote computer system and the corporate office.Alternatively, the user can initiate the autodial program routine fromthe operating system command line by typing in a respective command.This may be done in GUI-based operating systems, or in non-GUI operatingsystems, such as DOS.

It is noted that various telephone service set-up sequences may beperformed before autodialing the virtual presence server 106, such ascanceling call waiting. Also, the IRW unit or the virtual presenceserver 106 may instruct the telephone company Central Office toautomatically route all calls made to the remote user's home number tothe corporate office. Thus external parties who call the telecommuter'shome phone number, i.e., personal calls, are routed to the corporateoffice, through the virtual presence server, and to the telecommuter athis home. The external party calling the telecommuter at his home willnot be aware that the call was routed in this fashion.

In another embodiment, designed for telecommuters, when the user entershis office at his home or house and turns on his computer, the computerautomatically executes a routine which connects to the virtual presenceserver 106 at the corporate office.

The entire telephone number used by the virtual presence software tocall the host is preferably stored in memory and then automaticallydialed. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, thevirtual presence software also provides the option for the user tomanually enter a telephone number to establish a connection to thecorporate office. This is necessary due to the various prefixes that maybe required to obtain an outside telephone line from hotels andairports, etc. This option of allowing the user to manually enter thetelephone number also provides the user with the ability to accessalternative long distance carriers using calling cards. The virtualpresence software also provides temporary storage of the manuallyentered number for repeat use.

After the telephone number has been dialed and the remote computersystem makes contact with the host system or virtual presence server 106at the corporate office, in step 504 the remote computer system 102transfers security information according to a security protocol to thevirtual presence server 106 at the corporate office. Thus,identification is preferably exchanged for security. In the preferredembodiment, the user manually enters a password which is received andanalyzed by the host system virtual presence server 106.

The system of the present invention performs telephony functions throughcomputer system 102 to access the corporate office, and thus thecomputer system 102 can perform various modern authenticationtechniques. For example, the remote computer system 102 may utilize aunique code hard-wired into the communications device, e.g., modem,encryption of unique random numbers, and the use of credit cards withpasswords which periodically change. Thus the present inventionfacilitates more secure voice telephony authentication than prior voicesystems. In other words, the present invention provides more securecomputer-based authentication for voice, telepresence, virtual presence,and remote access call forwarding (RACF) applications.

After security negotiations have taken place in step 504, in step 506the virtual presence software informs the virtual presence server 106 ofthe telephone number where the remote computer 102 is connected. Theremote unit preferably utilizes caller ID information or uses othermeans to provide the telephone number where the remote computer islocated. This telephone number can be used by the virtual presenceserver 106 to place a call to the current location where the remotecomputer 102 is physically located. This telephone number informationreceived by the host virtual presence server 106 is stored by thevirtual presence server 106 for the duration of the session.

After the proper security information and identity information have beentransferred, in step 508 the remote computer system 102 receives asignal from the virtual presence server 106 indicating if the requestfor virtual presence has been accepted. If so, then in step 510 virtualpresence is enabled. If not, i.e, if the wrong security information orcaller information was transferred, then operation returns to step 502.

Once virtual presence has been enabled, the corporate PBX 112 preferablytransmits telephony control data to the phone connected to the remotecomputer system 102 (or the virtual phone), including messageindications, line indications, and LCD display information, etc. Thusthe phone connected to the remote computer system 102 appears as anextension of the corporate PBX 112, just as if the phone were physicallypresent at the corporate office.

FIG. 13--Virtual Presence Server Operation

Referring now to FIG. 13, a flowchart diagram illustrating operation ofthe virtual presence software executing on the virtual presence server106 according to the present invention is shown. It is noted that thesteps in FIG. 13 may occur in various orders, as desired.

In step 522 the virtual presence server 106 receives a call from theremote computer system 102, wherein the call is made by the remotecomputer system in step 502 of FIG. 12. In step 524 the virtual presenceserver 106 receives security information from the remote computer system102, wherein the security information is transferred by the remotecomputer system 102 in step 504 of FIG. 12.

In step 526 the virtual presence server 106 receives identificationinformation from the remote computer system 102 which indicates how theremote computer system 102 can be accessed. In the preferred embodiment,the virtual presence server 106 receives caller ID information from thePSTN indicating the source telephone number. It is noted that this stepof receiving caller ID information actually occurs in step 522 when thecall is received. Alternatively, step 526 involves receiving other typesof identification information in addition to, or instead of, caller IDinformation.

In response to receiving the call and the security information, in step532 the virtual presence server 106 determines if the call is valid,i.e., if the security data or password is valid and the calleridentification is valid. This step of validating the caller IDinformation preferably involves determining if the source of the callmatches a database of valid callers. This embodiment is preferably usedfor telecommuters and workers in a branch office where the source oftelephone calls to the virtual presence server 106 in the corporateoffice is predictable and thus can be regulated.

If the security data or password is not valid, or the calleridentification information is not valid, then the virtual presenceserver 106 refuses access to the caller. The virtual presence server 106also preferably logs the identity of the caller using caller IDinformation, and operation returns to step 522. In one embodiment, step526 occurs after step 532 and only the security data or password is usedto validate callers.

After validation in step 532, in step 534 the virtual presence server106 transfers a message to the corporate PBX 112 to instantiate remotecall forwarding. The virtual presence server 106 issues a command to thePBX 112 regarding the virtual presence of the remote user. It is notedthat this command to the PBX 112 may be issued automatically ormanually. The command includes the instruction to forward all telephonecalls to the extension of the remote user to the location of the remoteuser at his "virtual office."

If the PBX 112 supports remote call forwarding, the virtual presenceserver 106 issues a sequence of tones, and hookflash if needed, on theline to the PBX 112 that direct the PBX 112 to forward the remote user'sextension to the remote user's actual location. It is noted that thevirtual presence server 106 automatically issues a command to thecorporate PBX 112 to perform the remote call forwarding where possible.It is noted that most PBXs, as well as the TAPI (Telephony ApplicationProgramming Interface) from Microsoft and the TSAPI (TelephonyApplication Programming Interface) from Novell and AT&T, support remotecall forwarding.

However, in embodiments where the PBX 112 does not support remote callforwarding, but rather has a master console, the PBX 112 is manuallycommanded to forward calls to the remote user. In one embodiment wherethe PBX 112 does not support remote call forwarding, a computer systemis included between the virtual presence server 106 and the PBX 112. Ahuman operator at the computer system receives a message from thevirtual presence server 106 such as "please forward extension X toextension Y", and the operator manually enters commands to enable thecall forwarding. Alternatively, the virtual presence server 106 includesa side path, such as a serial port, to the master console which enablesremote call forwarding. However, it is noted that in the majority ofinstances the PBX 112 will generally support remote call forwarding, andin these instances the PBX 112 automatically routes calls to the remoteuser at the direction of the virtual presence server 106.

In one embodiment preferably used for telecommuters, the virtualpresence server 106 also instructs the telephone company Central Officeto automatically route all calls made to the remote user's home numberto the user's corporate office phone number. Thus external parties whocall the telecommuter's home phone number, i.e., personal calls, arerouted to the corporate office, through the virtual presence server 106,and to the telecommuter at his home. The external party calling thetelecommuter at his home will not be aware that the call was routed inthis fashion.

If the remote user disconnects from the corporate office, or if the useris intentionally or unintentionally disconnected, then the reverseprocess to step 534 preferably occurs. In other words, the virtualpresence server 106 automatically sends a message to the console toforward future messages back to the user's corporate office extension.

Also, after validation in step 532, in step 536 the virtual presenceserver transmits telephony control data to the remote computer system,as discussed above.

FIG. 14--Connection Options

Referring now to FIG. 14, a flowchart diagram illustrating variousconnection options of the system of the present invention is shown. Oncethe remote computer system has established a connection to the virtualpresence server 106, as described above with reference to FIGS. 12 and13, in step 542 the virtual presence software operating in the remotecomputer system 102 preferably determines if message rate charging is ineffect for the connection. In step 542 the remote computer system 102determines if the corporate office and the remote user reside in acommon Local Access Transport Area (LATA) that has no message unittransport charging. If so, then in step 544 the remote computer system102 remains connected until the user manually disconnects, and thus theuser preferably remains connected as long as desired. Thus, if the userresides within a local area code to the corporate office, and no messageunit charging is in effect, the user preferably remains connected duringthe entire session, since there are no message unit charges.

If the corporate office and the remote user are determined in step 542to not reside in a common Local Access Transport Area (LATA) and/ormessage unit transport charging is incurred, then in one embodiment thesystem of the present invention periodically disconnects during non-useor inactive periods to reduce connection expenses. In step 546 thevirtual presence software sets an inactivity disconnect timer in theremote computer system. In step 548 the virtual presence softwaremonitors the state of the timer as well as connection activity.Preferably, the timer counts down and generates an interrupt when thecounter reaches 0. If in step 550 the virtual presence softwaredetermines that there has been no activity during the timeout period,then in step 552 the virtual presence software directs the remotecomputer system to disconnect from the virtual presence server 106. Ifactivity has occurred during the timeout period, then operation returnsto step 546, and the inactivity timer is reset. Thus, when connectionactivity occurs, the inactivity timer is reset accordingly and beginscounting down.

Therefore, in one embodiment, a session established over long distancelinks or in areas where message unit charging is in effect isdisconnected and reestablished based upon utilization in order to reducecosts. According to the present invention, the remote computer systemincludes a timer which is enabled during a session. The timer causes alink to be disconnected after a user determined period of no linkactivity. This type of disconnection is referred to as a "temporarydisconnect" and is not apparent to the user. In the preferredembodiment, it is anticipated that the remote user will remain connectedwith a virtual presence at the corporate office for extended periods oftime, regardless of any message unit charging.

The present invention also preferably operates to minimize LAN datatraffic. ISDN is a message rate service where a user pays a set fee perminute. Bridges or routers between two LANs continually "ping" eachother, asking each other if they are still connected to the network. Inthe preferred embodiment, the BO server 160 and the virtual presenceserver 106 perform spoofing to remove this traffic, as well as removemaintenance and overhead traffic.

FIGS. 15 and 16--Virtual Presence Operation

Referring now to FIG. 15 a flowchart diagram is shown illustratingoperation of the present invention when the remote user accesses thecorporate office. The flowchart of FIG. 15 presumes that virtualpresence has been enabled as shown in step 510 of FIG. 12. In step 562the remote user enables the communication device in the remote computersystem 102. This may involve the user picking up the telephone connectedto the remote computer system 102 or placing the virtual telephone"off-hook" to begin a telephone call. This may also involve the userinitiating a modem or ISDN data transmission, initiating an Internetsession, checking office email, etc.

In step 564 the virtual presence software executing on the remotecomputer system 102 determines if the remote computer system 102 isconnected to the virtual presence server 106. If not, then in step 566the virtual presence software automatically dials the corporate office.In step 568 the virtual presence software establishes a connection withthe virtual presence server 106. Here it is noted that the connection isestablished as quickly as possible, and the security negotiationsperformed in step 504 of FIG. 12 are preferably not performed, with thepossible exception of a reconnect password. In step 570 the remotecomputer system 102 performs the desired function at the corporateoffice, such as checking or sending email, calling an external party, oraccessing the Internet, among others.

Referring now to FIG. 16 a flowchart diagram is shown illustratingoperation of the present invention when a party at the corporate officeor elsewhere accesses the remote user. The flowchart of FIG. 16 presumesthat virtual presence has been enabled as shown in step 510 of FIG. 12.In step 582 the virtual presence server 106 receives a communicationfrom a party intended for the remote computer system 102. This mayinvolve a co-worker at the corporate office dialing the local extensionof the remote user, an external person or external party calling theremote user from outside the corporate office, a party sending an emailor fax to the remote user, or other forms of communication. This mayalso involve the third party initiating a modem or ISDN datatransmission to the remote user.

In step 584 the virtual presence software executing on the virtualpresence server 106 determines if the remote computer system 102 isconnected to the virtual presence server 106. If not, then in step 586the virtual presence server 106 automatically dials the remote computersystem 102, i.e., establishes a connection or places a call to theremote computer system. Once the virtual presence server 106 at thecorporate office connects to the remote user, the virtual presenceserver 106 "knows" the identity of the remote user. In step 588 thevirtual presence server 106 establishes a connection with the remotecomputer system 102. Here it is noted that the connection is establishedas quickly as possible, and the security negotiations performed in step504 of FIG. 12 are preferably not performed. In step 590 the virtualpresence server 106 performs the desired function or transfer to theremote computer system 102, such as sending an email transmitted from athird party, transferring or forwarding a call made by a third party,forwarding a fax message received from a third party, among others.

In systems where inactivity disconnects occur, the virtual presenceserver 106 preferably generates special tones or uses other means todistinguish the virtual presence server 106 calling the remote userversus a call from a third party directly to the remote user. In thepreferred embodiment, caller ID information is used by the virtualpresence software executing on the remote computer system to distinguishbetween calls from the virtual presence server 106 and calls from thirdparties directly to the remote user's remote location. The caller IDinformation is used by the remote computer system 102 between the firstand second ring before the receiving telephone has come off-hook. Thisallows the remote computer system to immediately determine if the callis from the virtual presence server 106 or from somebody else.

If the remote computer system does not have access to caller ID, thetelephone at the remote site comes off-hook and waits for one second andthen listens for special tones. In this embodiment, the virtual presenceserver 106 preferably generates special tones or unique identifyingtones in a similar manner to the tones generated by a fax machine. Inanother embodiment, the virtual presence server 106 uses V8.bis, whichprovides for userdefined calling tone fields.

Therefore, after a temporary disconnect, any virtual presence access bythe remote computer system 102, whether using the telephone, accessingthe LAN, or other functions, causes the link to be automaticallyredialed by the virtual presence software executing in the remotecomputer system. This reduces message unit charging costs whilepreferably being transparent to the user. Likewise, any accesses by athird party intended for the remote user cause the virtual presenceserver 106 to automatically re-establish the connection with the remotecomputer system 102. After the reconnection, the third partycommunications are automatically directed to the remote user. Thus ifthe user picks up the telephone or engages the virtual telephone on theremote computer to initiate a call, and if a temporary disconnect hasoccurred, the remote computer system 102 automatically dials the virtualpresence server 106 to reconnect. Also if a PBX extension at thecorporate office and assigned to the remote computer system rings at thecorporate office, and a temporary disconnect has occurred, the virtualpresence server 106 at the corporate office automatically redials theremote computer system to reestablish the link. In this latter case, thevirtual presence server 106 uses the telephone numbers provided by theremote virtual presence software at the beginning of the session andstored by the virtual presence server 106 during the initial sessionnegotiation.

It is noted that, on an ISDN link, re-establishment of a connectionafter a temporary disconnect occurs very quickly and is typically lessthan a second. Thus on an ISDN link, re-establishment of a connection isgenerally transparent to the user. However, re-establishment of analoglinks using V.34 modems typically requires over 40 seconds. Thus, in anembodiment where analog phone lines are used, the automatic disconnectfeature is noticeable and preferably not used.

Remote User Connected to Virtual Presence Server

The following describes operations wherein a remote user accesses dataand/or performs communications using the virtual presence server 106 atthe corporate office. Here it is assumed that the remote user desires tomake a telephone call or otherwise communicate with a third party,wherein the remote user behaves just as if he were physically located atthe corporate office.

As shown in FIG. 15, first in step 562 the remote user initiates acommunication, i.e., picks up the telephone, or in some manner enablesthe telephone or modem to become "off-hook". For example, if the user isusing a virtual telephone executing on the remote computer system, theuser clicks a telephone call icon on the virtual telephone. If theremote user is connected to the virtual presence server 106 in step 564,or after a connection is established in step 568, then the followingsteps occur. In step 570 the corporate PBX 112 provides a dial tone tothe remote user. The corporate PBX 112 provides the dial tone throughthe virtual presence server 106, through the public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN) and through the open connection to the user's telephoneinstrument, or to the user's virtual telephone executing on the computersystem 102. Thus the corporate PBX 112 provides the dial tone to theremote user's telephone, and the remote user acts as an extension to thecorporate PBX 112.

If the user is performing a telephone call, then the user dials thedesired number. If the remote user desires to talk to a co-worker at thecorporate office, the remote user dials the co-worker's three digit (orother type) extension. If the remote user dials a co-worker who is alsoa remote user that maintains a virtual presence, then the call is routedfrom the corporate office virtual presence server 106 to the co-workerremote user. If the remote user desires to talk to a third party usingthe corporate office WATTS line, the remote user dials just as if he/shewere physically at the corporate office. Therefore, the telephoneplugged into the remote computer system and/or the virtual telephonesimulated by the remote office software appears as an extension on thecorporate telephone system, i.e. the corporate PBX 112. The remote useralso sends a fax or email, or logs on to the Internet, as if he werephysically present at the corporate office.

Referring again to FIG. 16, when a telephone call is made to the user atthe corporate office in step 582, then if the virtual presenceconnection is in place in step 584, or after the connection isestablished in step 588, in step 590 the PBX 112 and the virtualpresence server 106 automatically route the call to the remote user.Thus, when a coworker at the corporate office dials the local N digitextension of the remote user, which typically rings at the user's"corporate office" office, the telephone call is routed through the PBX112 and provided through the virtual presence server 106 to the remoteuser at his/her remote location. The virtual presence server 106provides the proper tones to the telephone of the remote user to directthe remote user's telephone to ring. The remote user then may pick up oranswer the telephone and complete the connection. Likewise, a receivedemail or fax is routed to the remote user in this fashion.

Therefore, once the remote user has been connected to the corporateoffice, the remote user operates substantially as if the user werephysically present at the corporate office. To illustrate operation ofthe present invention, consider a user who works out of his home andalso includes an office at the corporate office. If a user is engaged ina session with the virtual presence server 106 at the corporate office,or otherwise has informed the virtual presence server 106 that the useris physically located at his home, then when an external party attemptsto call the user at the corporate office, the PBX telephone system 112at the corporate office automatically routes the call to the user'shome.

Thus, when an external party makes a telephone call to the corporateoffice to attempt to reach the user, the corporate PBX 112 automaticallyroutes the telephone call through the session created by the user andthe telephone rings at the remote computer 102, i.e. at the telephoneplugged into the remote computer system or the virtual telephonesimulated by the remote office software. Therefore, an external partycalling the user is unable to detect whether the user is actuallyphysically located in the corporate office or in a remote location witha virtual presence according to the present invention.

If the user and the external party are discussing a document and theexternal party desires to fax the document to the user, the externalparty faxes the document to the corporate office. If the user has adedicated phone number for a personal fax at the corporate office, thenthe virtual presence server 106 of the present invention operates toautomatically direct the fax from the corporate office to the user'shome. In this case, the external party faxes the document to a faxmachine, or to the fax number, at the corporate office which isconnected to the virtual presence server 106, and the virtual presenceserver 106 detects that remote user as the receiving party of the faxand automatically redirects the fax transmission data from the corporateoffice fax machine to the remote user's home office.

Thus, according to the present invention, an external party calls theremote user at the corporate office and also faxes a document to theremote user at the corporate office, and both the telephone call and thefax document are automatically redirected to the user's home since theuser is physically located at home. This occurs unbeknownst to theexternal party, who has every reason to believe that the user isphysically located in the corporate office.

If the remote user at his home has established a "virtual presence" atthe corporate office according to the invention, and desires to make along distant telephone call to an external party located in a differentarea of the country, according to the present invention the user simplyperforms the dialing routine to access the corporate office WATTS lineat the corporate office, just as if the remote user were physicallylocated in the corporate office. Thus the remote user can obtain and usethe corporate office WATTS line to make a long distance telephone callto an external party at a much reduced rate, just as if the user werephysically located in the corporate office.

If a remote user is connected to the corporate office according to thevirtual presence system of the invention, the user may be talking on thephone and simultaneously sending a fax. The remote user is alsoconnected through a LAN bridge to the corporate LAN. If the remote userlaunches an application which expects to use a modem in one embodiment,this opens a channel to a the corporate office which then returns to usethe remote user's modem. Thus, the modem located with the remote user isused in the application to dial the on-line service.

In one embodiment the remote user can access a modem from a modem serverat the corporate office, and the modem at the corporate office acts as aslave to the remote user modem. Thus the modem at the corporate officeperforms desired communications, and the remote user's modem is onlyrequired for communications to and from the modem at the corporateoffice.

If a telecommuter desires to receive personal calls at home whileconnected to the virtual presence server, the telecommuter preferablyinstructs his friends and family to "call me at the office" to avoid abusy signal as a result of the virtual presence phone connectionoccupying the phone line. These calls are then routed to thetelecommuter's home by the virtual presence server 106. Alternatively,the virtual presence server 106 instructs the telephone company CentralOffice to automatically route calls to the telecommuter's home number tothe corporate office, and these calls are then routed to thetelecommuter's home by the virtual presence server 106. Thus when atelecommuter is connected to the corporate office according to thevirtual presence system of the invention, an external party who attemptsto call the telecommuter at home is not blocked out, but rather isrouted through the corporate office virtual presence server 106 to thetelecommuter.

Thus the telecommuter is not required to have separate telephone linesfor personal and business use, but rather is required to only have asingle line for both personal and business communications. The singletelephone line serves as the personal voice channel, the business voicechannel, the corporate LAN data channel, and fax data channel.

When the user has completed operations and desires to terminate thesession to the corporate office, the user preferably clicks on the "BeThere" icon or enters a command at the operating system command line toterminate the remote virtual presence software.

Remote Access Call Forwarding

The present invention also provides a greatly improved system andinterface for performing remote access call forwarding. In currentsystems, remote access call forwarding is not widely used due to thelack of a friendly user interface as well as the lack of a system whichmonitors the forwarding history and status of the user. The computersystem 102 including the IRW unit 104 of the present invent ion providesan automated means for performing remote access call forwarding. Thecomputer system 102 includes software which provides a friendly userinterface that greatly simplifies remote access call forwarding. Thecomputer system 102 also tracks the remote call forwarding status andhistory of the user, and thus remote access call forwarding can beeasily undone. Aso, the computer system 102 includes recovery methodsfor situations where a link has gone down and/or other instances occurwhere the remote access call forwarding should be done. Further, thecomputer system 102 includes authentication software as discussed abovewhich provides the necessary security for remote access call forwarding.

Conclusion

Therefore, a system which enables a remote user to maintain a virtualpresence at a corporate office is shown and described. The system of thepresent invention thus allows a remote user to connect to a corporateoffice and behave just as if the user were physically present at thecorporate office.

Although the system and method of the present invention has beendescribed in connection with the preferred embodiment, it is notintended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on thecontrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, andequivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A system which provides a remote user with a virtualpresence to a corporate office, comprising:a user communications devicephysically located remotely from the corporate office, wherein the usercommunications device is operated by the remote user, wherein the usercommunications device is adapted for coupling to a transmission media;wherein the user communications device transmits communications to thecorporate office, wherein said communications include identificationinformation of said user communications device; a virtual presenceserver located at the corporate office, wherein the virtual presenceserver includes:one or more connections for coupling to a telephonyserver and a local area network; one or more connections for coupling totransmission media, wherein the one or more connections receivescommunications from said user communications device; a memory forstoring said identification information received from said usercommunications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS) communicationdevice coupled to said memory and coupled to said one or moreconnections for coupling to transmission media, wherein said VPScommunication device is operable for providing voice, data and telephonycontrol information to the user communications device; wherein thevirtual presence server routes communications received by either of thelocal area network or the telephony server which are intended for theremote user of said user communications device, wherein saidcommunications intended for the remote user of said user communicationsdevice are routed from either of the telephony server or the local areanetwork to said user communications device; wherein the virtual presenceserver uses said identification information stored in said memory todetermine if said communications received by either of the local areanetwork or the telephony server are intended for the remote user of saiduser communications device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein saidvirtual presence server routes telephone calls received by the telephonyserver to said user communications device if said telephone calls areintended for the remote user of said user communications device.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said virtual presence server routesfacsimiles received by the telephony server to said user communicationsdevice if said facsimiles are intended for the remote user of said usercommunications device.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said virtualpresence server routes LAN communications received by the local areanetwork to said user communications device if said LAN communicationsare intended for the remote user of said user communications device. 5.The system of claim 1, further comprising:a telephone coupled to saiduser communications device and physically located remotely from saidcorporate office; wherein said virtual presence server communicates saidtelephony control information with said user communications device; andwherein said telephone coupled to said user communications devicereceives said telephony control information and operates as an extensionto the telephony server at said corporate office according to saidreceived telephony control information.
 6. The system of claim 5,wherein the remote user uses said telephone coupled to said usercommunications device to call a party when the user communicationsdevice is connected to the virtual presence server, wherein the remoteuser operates the telephone as an extension to the telephony server. 7.The system of claim 6, wherein the corporate office further includes aplurality of telephones coupled to the telephony server, wherein each ofthe plurality of telephones coupled to the telephony server have a localextension;Wherein the remote user uses said telephone coupled to saiduser communications device to call a co-worker at the corporate officewhen the user communications device is connected to the virtual presenceserver, wherein the remote user dials a local extension of a telephoneassociated with said co-worker.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein saidtelephone coupled to said user communications device and physicallylocated remotely from said corporate office operates substantially as ifsaid telephone were physically located in said corporate office.
 9. Thesystem of claim 5, further comprising:wherein said telephone coupled tosaid user communications device comprises a virtual telephone executingon said user communications device.
 10. The system of claim 9, whereinsaid virtual telephone operates substantially as if said virtualtelephone were a real telephone physically located in said corporateoffice.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said user communicationsdevice is operable to determine if message rate charging is in effectduring communications with the corporate office; andwherein said usercommunications device is operable to disconnect the user communicationsdevice during periods of inactivity to reduce message rate charging. 12.The system of claim 11, wherein said user communications device isfurther operable to automatically reconnect to the virtual presenceserver in response to the remote user initiating communications and inresponse to the user communications device not being connected to thecorporate office; andwherein the user communications device communicateswith the virtual presence server after the user communications deviceautomatically reconnects to the virtual presence server.
 13. The systemof claim 11, wherein said virtual presence server is further operable toautomatically reconnect to the user communications device in response toan external party initiating communications and in response to the usercommunications device not being connected to the corporate office;andwherein the virtual presence server communicates with the usercommunications device after the virtual presence server automaticallyreconnects to the user communications device.
 14. The system of claim 1,wherein said user communications device transmits communicationsincluding address information of said user communications device wheresaid user communications device can be contacted;wherein said memory insaid virtual presence server stores said communications address receivedfrom said user communications device; and wherein said virtual presenceserver accesses said address information from said memory to route saidcommunications received by either of the local area network or thetelephony server which are intended for the remote user of said usercommunications device to said user communications device.
 15. The systemof claim 14, wherein said address information comprises a telephonenumber.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote user is atelecommuter working at home, wherein the telecommuter's home has atelephone number,wherein the virtual presence server is operable toinstruct a telephone company central office to automatically routetelephone calls made to the telephone number of the telecommuter's hometo the corporate office; wherein said telephone calls made to thetelephone number of the telecommuter's home are routed through saidvirtual presence server to said telecommuter's home.
 17. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the user communications device operates as a node tothe local area network when said user communications device is connectedto said virtual presence server.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein saiduser communications device includes an analog modem for coupling to ananalog telephone line.
 19. The system of claim 1, wherein said usercommunications device comprises a computer system including acommunications device.
 20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:atelephony server located at the corporate office, wherein the telephonyserver controls a plurality of telephones; and a local area networklocated at the corporate office, said local area network including aplurality of interconnected computer systems; wherein said virtualpresence server is coupled to said telephony server and said local areanetwork.
 21. A method for providing a remote user operating a usercommunications device with a virtual presence at a corporate office,wherein the corporate office includes a telephony server, wherein thecorporate office further includes a virtual presence server which routescommunications between the corporate office and the user communicationsdevice, the method comprising:the user communications device connectingto the corporate office; the user communications device providingidentification information to a virtual presence server at the corporateoffice after said user communications device connecting to the corporateoffice, said identification information including an identity of theuser operating the user communications device; the virtual presenceserver storing said identification information provided by the usercommunications device; and the virtual presence server communicatingtelephony control information with said user communications device,wherein said user communications device operates as an extension to thetelephony server located at the corporate office.
 22. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising:the telephony server at the corporateoffice receiving a communication, wherein said communication is intendedfor the remote user operating said user communications device; and thevirtual presence server automatically routing said communication fromthe telephony server at the corporate office to said user communicationsdevice after said receiving said communication.
 23. The method of claim22, wherein said automatically routing includes:accessing saididentification information received from said user communicationsdevice; and determining that said communication received by saidcorporate office is intended for the remote user operating said usercommunications device, wherein said determining uses said identificationinformation.
 24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:the usercommunications device providing accessing information to the virtualpresence server at the corporate office after said user communicationsdevice connecting to the host office, said accessing informationincluding a communications address of said user communications device;wherein said automatically routing includes:examining said accessinginformation of said user communications device; and transferring saidcommunication from said corporate office to said user communicationsdevice using said communications address.
 25. The method of claim 22,wherein said receiving a communication comprises the telephony serverreceiving a telephone call;wherein said transferring said communicationfrom said corporate office to said user communications device comprisesthe virtual presence server transferring the telephone call to the usercommunications device.
 26. The method of claim 22, wherein saidreceiving a communication comprises the telephony server receiving afacsimile;wherein said transferring said communication from saidcorporate office to said user communications device comprises thevirtual presence server transferring the facsimile to the usercommunications device.
 27. The method of claim 21, wherein the corporateoffice further includes a local area network, the method furthercomprising:the local area network at the corporate office receiving acommunication, wherein said communication is intended for the remoteuser operating said user communications device; the virtual presenceserver transferring said communication from the local area network atthe corporate office to said user communications device after saidreceiving said communication.
 28. The method of claim 21, wherein thecorporate office further includes a local area network, the methodfurther comprising:the user communications device connecting to the hostlocal area network, wherein said user communications device operates asa node to said local area network.
 29. The method of claim 21, whereinthe user communications device includes a telephone, the method furthercomprising:the remote user calling a party after said connecting andafter the virtual presence server communicates telephony controlinformation with said user communications device, wherein said callingincludes the telephone comprised in the user communications device usingsaid telephony control information to behave as an extension to thetelephony server.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the corporateoffice further includes a plurality of telephones coupled to saidtelephony server, wherein each of said plurality of telephones coupledto said telephony server have a local extension, the method furthercomprising:the remote user calling a co-worker at the corporate officeafter said connecting and after the virtual presence server communicatestelephony control information with said user communications device,wherein said calling the co-worker includes the remote user dialing alocal extension of a telephone associated with said co-worker.
 31. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising:the user communications devicedetermining if message rate charging is in effect during, acommunication; the user communications device monitoring activity duringsaid user communications device connecting to the corporate office; theuser communications device terminating said connecting to the corporateoffice during periods of inactivity to reduce message rate charging. 32.The method of claim 31, further comprising:the user communicationsdevice receiving a request to initiate communications to the corporateoffice after said terminating; the user communications devicedetermining that the user communications device is not connected to thecorporate office; the user communications device automaticallyreconnecting to the virtual presence server in response to said requestand said determining that the user communications device is notconnected to the corporate office; and the user communications devicecommunicating with the virtual presence server after the usercommunications device automatically reconnects to the virtual presenceserver.
 33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:a partyinitiating communications to the corporate office intended for theremote user after said terminating; the virtual presence serverreceiving said communications from said party; the virtual presenceserver determining that the user communications device is not connectedto the corporate office; the virtual presence server automaticallyreconnecting to the user communications device in response to said partyinitiating communications and said determining that the usercommunications device is not connected to the corporate office; and thevirtual presence server providing said third party communications to theuser communications device after the virtual presence serverautomatically reconnects to the user communications device.
 34. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the remote user is a telecommuter working athome, wherein the telecommuter's home has a telephone number, whereinthe method further comprises:instructing a telephone company centraloffice to automatically route telephone calls made to the telephonenumber of the telecommuter's home to the corporate office; wherein saidtelephone calls made to the telephone number of the telecommuter's homeare routed through said virtual presence server to said telecommuter'shome.
 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:a party making atelephone call to the telephone number of the telecommuter's home; thetelephone company automatically routing said telephone call made to thetelephone number of the telecommuter's home to the corporate office; thecorporate office receiving said telephone call made to the telephonenumber of the telecommuter's home and routed to the corporate office;the virtual presence server routing said telephone call made to thetelephone number of the telecommuter's home and routed to the corporateoffice to the telecommuter's home.
 36. A method for providing a user ofa user communications device with a virtual presence at a corporateoffice, wherein the corporate office includes a telephony server and alocal area network, wherein the corporate office further includes avirtual presence server which automatically routes communicationsbetween the corporate office and the user communications device, themethod comprising:the user communications device connecting to thevirtual presence server at the corporate office; the user communicationsdevice providing identification information to the virtual presenceserver at the corporate office after the user communications deviceconnecting to the host office, said identification information includingan identity of the user operating said user communications device; thevirtual presence server storing said identification information providedby the user communications device; the telephony server in the corporateoffice receiving a communications from a party, wherein saidcommunications are intended for a telephone in the corporate officeassociated with the user of said user communications device; the virtualpresence server automatically routing said communications from saidtelephony server to said user communications device.
 37. The method ofclaim 36, wherein said automatically routing includes:accessing saididentification information of said user communications device;determining if said communications are intended for a telephone in thecorporate office associated with the user of said user communicationsdevice using said identification information; and transferring saidtelephone call from said corporate office to said user communicationsdevice if said communications are intended for a telephone in thecorporate office associated with the user of said user communicationsdevice.
 38. The method of claim 37, wherein said automatically routingfurther includes:accessing a communications address of said usercommunications device; and transferring said telephone call from saidcorporate office to said user communications device using saidcommunications address.
 39. A method for providing a remote useroperating a user communications device with a virtual presence at acorporate office, wherein the corporate office includes a telephonyserver and a local area network, wherein the corporate office furtherincludes a virtual presence server which routes communications betweenthe corporate office and the user communications device, the methodcomprising:the user communications device connecting to the virtualpresence server at the corporate office; the user communications deviceproviding identification information to a virtual presence server at thecorporate office after said user communications device connecting to thehost office, said identification information including an identity ofthe remote user of said user communications device; the virtual presenceserver storing said identification information provided by the usercommunications device; the user communications device connecting to thecorporate office local area network, wherein said user communicationsdevice operates as a node to said local area network; the usercommunications device operating as an extension of the telephony serverin the corporate office; the corporate office receiving a communicationsfrom a party, wherein said communications are intended for the remoteuser of said user communications device; and the virtual presence serverautomatically routing said communications from said corporate office tosaid user communications device.
 40. A system which provides a pluralityof workers at a branch office with a virtual presence to a corporateoffice, comprising:a plurality of user communications devices physicallylocated in the branch office, wherein the branch office is locatedremotely from the corporate office, wherein the user communicationsdevices are operated by the plurality of workers at the branch office; abranch office server physically located in the branch office and coupledto each of said plurality of user communications devices, wherein saidbranch office server includes one or more communications devices forcoupling to a transmission media;wherein the branch office servertransmits communications to the corporate office, wherein saidcommunications include identification information of said branch officeserver; a virtual presence server located at the corporate office andoperable for coupling to a telephony server and a local area networklocated in the corporate office, wherein the branch office server isoperable to connect to the virtual presence server, wherein the virtualpresence server includes:a plurality of connections for coupling totransmission media, wherein one or more of said plurality of connectionsreceives communications from said branch office server; a memory forstoring said identification information received from said branch officeserver; and a communication device coupled to said memory and saidplurality of connections for providing voice, data and telephony controlinformation to the user communications device; wherein the virtualpresence server routes communications received by either of the localarea network or the telephony server which are intended for workers insaid branch office, wherein said communications intended for saidworkers in said branch office are routed from either of the telephonyserver or the local area network to said branch office server in saidbranch office; wherein the virtual presence server uses saididentification information stored in said memory to determine if saidcommunications received by either of the local area network or thetelephony server are intended for one of said plurality of workers insaid branch office.
 41. A virtual presence server system which providesa remote user with a virtual presence to a corporate office, wherein thevirtual presence server is located at the corporate office,comprising:one or more connections for coupling to a telephony serverand a local area network, one or more connections for coupling to atransmission media, wherein the one or more connections for coupling toa transmission media are for receiving communications from a usercommunications device physically located remotely from the corporateoffice; a memory for storing identification information received from auser communications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS)communications device coupled to said memory and coupled to said one ormore connections for coupling to a transmission media, wherein said VPScommunications device is operable to provide voice, data and telephonycontrol information to the user communications device; wherein thevirtual presence server routes communications received by either of thelocal area network or the telephony server which are intended for theremote user of the user communications device, wherein saidcommunications intended for the remote user of the user communicationsdevice are routed from either of the telephony server or the local areanetwork to the user communications device; wherein the virtual presenceserver uses said identification information stored in said memory todetermine if said communications received by either of the local areanetwork or the telephony server are intended for the remote user of saiduser communications device.
 42. The system of claim 41,wherein saidvirtual presence server routes telephone calls received by the telephonyserver to the user communications device if said telephone calls areintended for the remote user of the user communications device.
 43. Thesystem of claim 41,wherein said virtual presence server routesfacsimiles received by the telephony server to the user communicationsdevice if said facsimiles are intended for the remote user of the usercommunications device.
 44. The system of claim 41,wherein said virtualpresence server routes LAN communications received by the local areanetwork to the user communications device if said LAN communications areintended for the remote user of the user communications device.
 45. Thesystem of claim 41, further comprising:wherein said virtual presenceserver communicates telephony control information with the usercommunications device to enable the user communications device tooperate as an extension to the telephony server at the corporate officeaccording to the received telephony control information.
 46. The systemof claim 45, wherein the corporate office further includes a pluralityof telephones coupled to said telephony server, wherein each of saidplurality of telephones coupled to said telephony server have a localextension;wherein the remote user uses said telephone coupled to saiduser communications device to call a co-worker at the corporate officewhen the user communications device is connected to the virtual presenceserver, wherein the remote user dials a local extension of a telephoneassociated with said co-worker.
 47. The system of claim 45, wherein theuser communications device operates substantially as if the usercommunications device were physically located in said corporate office.48. The system of claim 81, wherein said virtual presence server isfurther operable to automatically reconnect to the user communicationsdevice in response to an external party initiating communications and inresponse to the user communications device not being connected to thecorporate office; andwherein the virtual presence server communicateswith the user communications device after the virtual presence serverautomatically reconnects to the user communications device.
 49. Thesystem of claim 41, wherein the remote user is a telecommuter working athome, wherein the telecommuter's home has a telephone number,wherein thevirtual presence server is operable to instruct a telephone companycentral office to automatically route telephone calls made to thetelephone number of the telecommuter's home to the corporate office;wherein said telephone calls made to the telephone number of thetelecommuter's home are routed through said virtual presence server tosaid telecommuter's home.
 50. A system which provides a remote user witha virtual presence to a corporate office, comprising:a usercommunications device physically located remotely from the corporateoffice, wherein the user communications device is operated by the remoteuser, wherein the user communications device is adapted for coupling toa transmission media; wherein the user communications device transmitscommunications to the corporate office, wherein said communicationsinclude identification information of said user communications device; atelephony server located at the corporate office, wherein the telephonyserver controls a plurality of telephones; a local area network locatedat the corporate office, said local area network including a pluralityof interconnected computer systems; and a virtual presence serverlocated at the corporate office and coupled to said telephony server andsaid local area network, wherein the user communications device isoperable to connect to the virtual presence server, wherein the virtualpresence server includes:a plurality of inputs for coupling totransmission media, wherein one or more of said plurality of inputsreceives communications from said user communications device; a memoryfor storing said identification information received from said usercommunications device; and a virtual presence server (VPS) communicationdevice coupled to said memory for providing voice, data and telephonycontrol information to the user communications device; wherein thevirtual presence server routes communications received by either of saidlocal area network or said telephony server which are intended for theremote user of said user communications device, wherein saidcommunications intended for the remote user of said user communicationsdevice are routed from either of said telephony server or said localarea network to said user communications device; wherein the virtualpresence server uses said identification information stored in saidmemory to determine if said communications received by either of saidlocal area network or said telephony server are intended for the remoteuser of said user communications device.